Industry-leading French makeup firm L’Oreal has announced that they would delete terms like “whitening” and “lightening” from their labels after a variety of beauty companies have faced criticism for their skin-lightening items in the wake of widespread calls for racial equality.
“The L’Oreal Group has agreed to withdraw the words white / white, fair / fair, light / light from all its evening skin items,” the brand said in a statement.
The step reflects the transition of fashion icons to speak up to racial prejudices. L’Oreal ‘s skin brightening creams are among the most common on the market and target Asian , African and Caribbean consumers who face cultural stigmas where lighter skin is viewed as more attractive.
L’Oreal ‘s promise for change comes the day after consumer product leader Unilever announced that they would change the name of their “Fair & Lovely” cream that is popular in Asia for skin lightening.
The company reportedly created $500 million in sales in India last year, according to Yahoo News, but the agency claims they are trying to understand how their language and imagery reinforce racial stereotypes.
“We are completely committed to a global range of skincare products that is inclusive and compassionate for all skin colors, embracing a deeper variety of beauty,” said Sunny Jain, head of Unilever’s Beauty & Personal Care. “We understand that the use of the terms ‘medium,’ ‘white’ and ‘color’ implies a particular definition of attractiveness that we don’t believe is right, and we want to resolve this.”
Also, the firm insists that the Fair & Lovely line “has never been, and is not, a skin bleaching commodity.”
Johnson & Johnson has vowed to discontinue some of their Neutrogen and Clean & Clear products, which are sold as dark spot reducers in Asia and the Middle East.
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